Unicast

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Routing Schemes

anycast

broadcast

multicast

unicast

In computer networks, unicast is the sending of information packets to a single destination. "Unicast" is derived from the word broadcast, as unicast is the extreme opposite of broadcasting. In computer networking, multicasting is used to regain some of the efficiencies of broadcasting. When multicasting is unavailable, unicasting the exact same content to many users can be costly. Internet radio stations can have high bandwidth bills because of this.

These terms are also synonymous with streaming content providers' services. Unicast servers provide a stream to a single user at a time, while multicast servers can support a larger audience by serving content simultaneously to multiple users.

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